Tales from the Office on Employee Recognition, Employee Rewards, Life Hacks, Gamification, and Human Resources.

Monthly Archives: December 2012

When was the last time you felt engaged at work? I mean really present, fired up, and motivated to meet the day’s challenges. When was the last time you saw your employees and coworkers excited to be at work and inspired by a project or task? Yesterday? Last week? Maybe a few months ago? Or not even once in the last year?

Employees simply are not engaged at work, and this disengagement is affecting productivity, retention, and work quality. According to a recent Gallup poll, this disengagement costs the U.S. economy $370 billion annually. 1

The goods news is that the corporate world is learning how to engage and motivate employees, and employers are putting this gained knowledge into action. Recent research highlights the power appreciation and recognition have for boosting employee motivation and reigniting engagement. 2 3 As Blacksmith and Harter report, “Over the past several decades, business and psychological researchers — including Gallup — have identified a strong relationship between employees’ workplace engagement and their respective company’s overall performance.” 4

So what are some good ways to increase employee engagement? A simple and effective place to start is with a social recognition application like Recognize. Recognize makes it easy for employees to express their appreciation for one another. Users select a badge to match the good deed they’re recognizing, add a personalized message, and then send it to a co-worker of their choice. All recognitions are showcased allowing co-workers to show their support with comments and +1s.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a leader in your workplace, an HR professional, or an employee – anyone can take the powerful step of recognizing the effort and skills of colleagues and in doing so, increase productivity and work quality. While a simple heartfelt thank you can have a lasting effect, programs to standardize and socialize workplace recognition, like Recognize, are making employee appreciation an even more powerful motivator.

Sign up today on our homepage, and be recognizing coworkers in less than a minute.

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References:

1. Blacksmith, N. & Harter, J. (2011). Majority of American Workers Not Engaged in Their Jobs. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/150383/majority-american-workers-not-engaged-jobs.aspx

2. Bersin, J. (2012). New Research Unlocks the Secret of Employee Recognition. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2012/06/13/new-research-unlocks-the-secret-of-employee-recognition/

3. Human Capital Institute. (2009). The Value and ROI in Employee Recognition: Linking Recognition to Improved Job Performance and Increased Business Value — The Current State and Future Needs. Retrieved from http://theirf.org/direct/user/file/pdf/Value-and-ROI-in-Employee-Recognition.pdf